Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak has issued a policy reversal requiring masks in all of Nevada’s public indoor spaces. Effective Friday, June 26, visitors to any public space must wear a mask, including in all Las Vegas and Reno casino properties.
Prior to the order, only casino staff were required to wear masks. Many casinos encouraged patrons to don masks, even handing them out free of charge. Still, guests only sporadically adhered to the guidelines. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that approximately half of casino visitors wore masks during initial reopenings. Casinos in Nevada began to reopen earlier this month.
A Caesars Entertainment Corp. Spokesperson said the company has not changed its smoking policy since it started requiring guests wear masks on June 24. Casinos have opened in other states, but all eyes will be on the iconic Las Vegas Strip anxiously waiting to see if COVID19 cases spike again and how tourists react to the new experience.
Sisolak’s order follows a rise in COVID-19 cases in Nevada. The state’s Department of Health and Human Services logged 365 new cases within a 24 hour period earlier this week, according to Deadline.
Casino Safety Measures
Before Sisolak’s policy change, casinos still took significant measures to provide a safe and healthy gaming environment for patrons.
Caesars, MGM Resorts, and Wynn, among many other Nevada casino hotels, currently have comprehensive health plans on their websites detailing their on-property health protocols.
Casino employees are required to wear masks, but the measures don’t end there. Seats at table games are limited based on capacity. Some properties physically remove excess chairs to limit player numbers.
Plexiglass shields stand between dealers and players in many cases, and some games have been altered to minimize player contact with cards and chips. Casino operators also enforce social distancing on slot banks by removing chairs or shutting down every other machine.
Similar Mandate In California
One state over, California has seen an uptick in COVID-19 cases following phased reopenings. Gov. Gavin Newsom took swift action in response. Californians must now wear protective masks in all public and high-risk areas. Public transportation, stores, and other high-traffic places now mandate masks. The requirement extends to California’s cardrooms and casinos.
California’s efforts to kickstart a lagging economy following months of shutdowns were met with many of the state’s residents choosing not to wear masks.
Certain casino resorts in Nevada, including on the Las Vegas Strip reopened their doors for the first time since mid-March on June 4. Since that point, more and more land-based gambling venues are up an running. A laundry list of protective measures against the spread of the virus were also put into place.
One of those protective measures was the use of protective shields between players and table game dealers. As of June 21, the Reno Gazette Journal reported that masks need to be worn at table games without those barriers.
Why Are Casino Gamblers in Las Vegas Required To Wear Face Masks For COVID-19 Protection?
Las Vegas Casino Face Masks
The Nevada Gaming Control Board originally created a set of specific safety and health protocols for reopening casinos. A board-approved plan needed to be put into place to host casino guests.
More than two weeks into the reopening process, the board has begun to amend its list. The updated health and safety policy for casinos added the mask requirement. The tighter rules for gamblers sitting down to play were explained as follows:
“Licensees must require patrons to wear face coverings at table and card games if there is no barrier, partition or shield between the dealer and each player.” The notice went on to add: “This requirement applies to table and card game players, spectators and any other person within six feet of any table or card game.”
The original shutdown by Nevada’s governor dates back to March 16. Las Vegas casinos have been doing everything within their power to reduce the risk of contracting the coronavirus within their facilities.
The town has also done everything it can to recreate the feel of Las Vegas. The one that everyone has come to know and love over the years.
The post-COVID-19 Las Vegas experience offers fewer chairs at table games to restrict the total number of players. There are fewer places to stand around a standard craps table. Some casinos have disabled every other slot machine along a continuous row.
The actual limits in place are:
- Three players max for Blackjack
- Four players max for Roulette & Poker
- Six players max for Craps
All dealers and casino employees are required to wear masks at all times. Face shields is another common form of protection. Masks are still optional for casino patrons but strongly recommended.
Las Vegas Casinos No Masks
According to this report, MGM Resorts has gone as far as to add plexiglass partitions at its gaming tables. This also includes bar top video poker machines. Caesars had already required masks for table gameplay.
Many of the casinos in and around Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, and Reno have reopened. Yet, there is still a list of casinos that are holding off until this week and next week’s busy 4th of July holiday weekend. MGM plans to reopen Luxor on June 25. The target date for Aria, Mandalay Bay and the Four Seasons Las Vegas is July 1. The Shoppes at Mandalay Place will be reopen on June 25 as well. The Park MGM, Mirage and Delano have yet to set a formal date to reopen their doors.
• Source: Nevada gamblers now required to wear masks at table games that have no barriers From Usatoday.com On June 19, 2020.
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